Description (as provided by the applicant): The 11th International Symposium on Double-Stranded RNA Viruses is held triennially and is the sole meeting that encompasses the entire breadth of dsRNA viruses. These viruses are significant pathogens in their natural hosts that range from bacteria to humans. The conference covers all aspects of these viruses, from virus structure to entry into the cell through replication and assembly, to uncovering the molecular basis of pathogenesis, to prevention and therapy. The 2012 meeting will be held at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan Puerto Rico from November 27 to December 1, 2012. Invited speakers will present cutting-edge findings about the dynamic interactions of dsRNA viruses with the cells and organisms they infect as well as viral diversity, host counter-measures to combat infection, vaccines and biotherapies. Invited keynote and plenary speakers, chosen for their expertise in the topics covered in each session, will present their recent and unpublished research findings and latest advances in the field. The majority of the presentations will be oral and poster presentations of submitted abstracts. Selections for oral presentations will be made to highlight exciting new developments in dsRNA virus research with an emphasis on younger scientists, including new investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. The evening poster sessions are an important and prominent aspect of the Symposium, providing an opportunity for participants to present and discuss their research. Meeting participants will include well-known established investigators who have made seminal contributions to the field, young investigators launching independent research careers, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, and investigators from industry and public health sectors. Funding is requested to provide partial support for conference fees and travel costs for sixteen trainees and young investigators, four investigators from developing countries, and two local Puerto Rican graduate students who apply for travel awards. Awards will be made to postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and investigators from developing nations who will present short talks or posters on their work with an emphasis on enhancing diversity by selecting deserving women, underrepresented minorities, and deserving and well qualified trainees. The outcome of this meeting will be the (i) promotion of the participation and career development of a diverse group of young investigators, including women, underrepresented minorities, local Puerto Rican students and investigators from developing nations, (ii) stimulation of the free exchange of new findings and ideas in dsRNA virus biology, and (iii) fostering of new scientific collaborations and novel avenues of research. Public Health Relevance: Double-stranded RNA viruses are an important cause of infectious diseases of humans, animals, and plants and these viruses present significant challenges to prevention and therapy. The Eleventh International Symposium on Double-Stranded RNA Viruses will provide a venue for the exchange of new insights into all aspects of these viruses. This is the sole conference that focuses on dsRNA viruses and it encompasses a wide range of topics and approaches to cultivate interdisciplinary research.